Anatel assesses geopolitical risks before authorizing Starlink expansion in Brazil.
The agency is analyzing the political and commercial impacts of expanding Elon Musk's company's satellite constellation in the country.
247 - Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) is conducting a detailed analysis of the political and commercial risks associated with Starlink's request, a company owned by Elon Musk, to increase its fleet of satellites operating in Brazil.
Currently, Starlink operates approximately 4,4 satellites providing internet to over 300 users in the country, representing 58,6% of the satellite internet market, according to data from Anatel (Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency). In December 2023, the company requested authorization to launch an additional 7,5 second-generation satellites.
Anatel's concerns intensified after disagreements between Musk and the Supreme Federal Court (STF) last year, which resulted in the temporary suspension of X (formerly Twitter), also owned by Musk.
In March of this year, advisor Alexandre Freire, rapporteur for the case at Anatel, requested additional information from the technical areas on topics related to Brazilian digital sovereignty, data security, and cyber risks.
Freire questioned the possibility of Starlink operating without integration with national networks, which could result in Brazilian data traffic being routed directly via satellite, outside of national jurisdiction. This would raise concerns about Anatel's ability to monitor and ensure the company's compliance with Brazilian regulations.
Furthermore, analyses were requested regarding the risks of Starlink's infrastructure being used as a tool for leverage in the context of geopolitical crises or trade disputes, including the possibility of service disruptions in the country.
There are also concerns about the processing and storage of sensitive data from citizens, companies, and public bodies on servers abroad, in compliance with the General Data Protection Law (LGPD).
Local operators have spoken out against the expansion proposed by Starlink, warning Anatel (Brazil's telecommunications regulatory agency) about the risks of "congestion" in Earth's orbit and possible interference with telecommunications signals.
The National Union of Satellite Telecommunications Companies (Sindisat), which represents companies such as Claro, Hughes, SES, Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Hispasat, argued that the new generation of Starlink satellites is "completely different" from the previous one, requiring a new license instead of a simple modification of the existing one. (With information from...) The state of Sao Paulo).
